A Fool Such As I
by Kale Caernavron
Summary: A mysterious girl appears at Hogwarts, but nobody knows who she is, including Adel, who eventually developes close 'relationships' with both Draco and Harry....
1. Default Chapter

Kale's Latest Creative Endeavor

Allrighties, please bear with me hear…this is my first fan fic and all, and my creative writing skills are WAY out of practice, so if you are so kind as to review this, please at least be constructive with yer criticism

***

"Albus are you certain?" Minerva Mcgonagall questioned the wizard sitting in front of her, who was at the moment very calmly sucking on a lemon drop despite the fact that he had just told her the most startling thing the deputy headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry ever could have imagined.

"Indeed I am professor Mcgonagall, in fact, there is no doubt in my mind that it is her" Albus Dumbledore, the highly respected headmaster of Hogwarts replied lightly as he handed her the newspaper he had been looking at. 

"Lemon drop?" he offered as Minerva stared at the front page. It was a muggle publication from America, something known as the New York Times. The copy, in fact, was over a month old, and the information it contained would be considered old news and generally worthless by many a person. However it was not the weather report or the stock exchange that interested the headmaster so. Rather, it was the picture of a young girl contained in the business section that had caught his interest. It certainly wasn't a flattering picture, nor was particularly interesting. Just a grainy photograph of an unsmiling girl of about age 16 or seventeen, with untidy black hair and unimaginably sad eyes staring out the window of a hearse.

"This is hardly a time for candy!" Minerva snapped, entranced by the photo...the resemblance really was eerie.... too eerie to be just a coincidence. Even the skeptical witch had to admit that there was a very good possibility that what Albus was suggesting could very well be true. She was, however, caught off guard by the expression of amusement on the headmaster's face as she looked up at him.. "Well, what is it then?" she asked him impatiently.

"My dear professor, do I dare say that you just might believe me now?" he questioned, his eyes twinkling.

"It's really quite uncanny" Minerva murmured, not paying attention to his remarks as she glanced back down at the paper and started to read the article. It was about the death of the CEO and founder of Cabot Motors, Alexander Cabot and his wife Elizabeth. Ironically enough, they had been killed in a horrific car crash on there way home from a charity ball. The picture that had entranced the Professors so was of their daughter, Adelaide, the soul benefactor of her parent's estate and fortune.

"If what your saying is true Albus, how can we possibly tell her?...Or the boy, for that matter" she added as an afterthought. "How can we tell them that both of their lives have been complete lies? Besides, we don't even know if she's a witch or not, if she was then she would have gotten her letter when she was eleven, just like everyone else.... we're the closest school to her, there would have been records...." she trailed off as Albus held up his hand as if to silence her.

"Ah, but she did get her letter.... if you recall, she was put on the list of those who gave no reply. I had no idea who she was at the time, not until I saw this picture. In fact, from what I have read about her parents, I have the distinct impression that she has no knowledge that magic even exists."

"You mean they kept it from her?" Minerva asked, astonished. However, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that that wasn't so unusual. Her parents were the type of people who threw dinner parties for people they didn't know and donated money to charities they'd never heard of. They were not the type of people who would send their only daughter to a school halfway around the world to learn how to become a witch.

"What are we going to do Albus?" Minerva asked him, a note of agitation in her voice.

"I'd say we're going to pay a little visit to New York" he replied, blue eyes twinkling.

***


	2. "Don't Judge A Boy By His Tailor"

Well, here it is, number 2 in a long line of chapters….how do y'all like it so far? I'll admit that chapter one was a little messed up and hard to follow, hopefully this one's a bit better! I tried to keep everyone in character as best I could, but sometimes I just can't help letting the way I WANT to see everyone take over….anywho…Enjoy, and please don't forget to review and tell me what you think, even if it is bad! But if you are gonna criticize, at least please try to make it constructive! Thanks!

Whoops! I forgot to do a disclaimer for my last chapter, so for all you legal folks, here it is: I don't own Harry Potter or anything affiliated with it…though I wouldn't gripe if I did! ;)

And now presenting…(drumroll please) –hee hee ;)

CHAPTER 2: "Don't Judge A Boy By His Tailor"

***

3 Weeks Later

"Excuse me sir, would you be as kind as to enlighten me as to where I might find platform nine and three quarters?"

The burly conductor looked at her strangely for a moment before muttering "Little hooligan" and walking away. Adel felt like crying. Never in her life had she been treated so poorly and by so many people. Didn't those idiots realize who she was? That was the fifth person who had insulted her within a ten-minute time frame. She just didn't understand. Her ticket clearly said " The Hogwarts Express Departing From Platform Nine and Three Quarters 2:00 pm." Adel glanced at her watch desperately. It was ten minutes to two. She had to find that platform, and she had to find it NOW, before she missed her train. 

Looking around, she realized that she was standing right between platforms nine and ten. In complete frustration, she pounded her fist against the barrier. However, rather than smacking her hand hard against the brick wall, and consequently breaking several bones, all she felt was air. Adel stared in disbelief. Her hand had disappeared inside of the wall. Looking around nervously, she cautiously pulled her hand out and started to push her baggage cart against the wall. To her utter amazement, it went through as well. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes she ran with all her might against the wall and waited to be knocked out cold. But it didn't happen, she just kept going until she felt a jolt and heard an irritated "Oww! Watch where you're going you stupid prat!" Slowly, she opened her eyes. Directly in front of her cart was the most handsome boy-(correction)-man, she had ever laid eyes on. Strands of his gleaming white blond hair where hanging in front of his eyes, partially obscuring them, which Adel noticed were a startling shade of silvery blue. His white shirt and khakis looked like they were made for him and he wore a heavy gold watch around her wrist. So caught up was she in her observations, it wasn't until the boy muttered an impatient "Ahem!" that she realized he was glaring at her and rubbing his shoulder.

"Oh lord, I'm so sorry" Adel apologized profusely "I have to admit I've never ran through a wall before and it have me a bit of a fright; I wasn't watching where I was going" 

She waited for some sort of acknowledgement to her apology, but none came. She shifty nervously from foot to foot as the boy regarded her, lazily running his eyes up and down her frame as he evaluated her. She felt like his eyes were boring into her soul as he looked at her. Finally, he spoke.

"You look a bit.... mature for a first year" he smirked, staring pointedly at her chest.

"You vile, disgusting creature!" Adel yelled at him as she realized what he was implying "Never in my life have I been treated in such a terrible manner. You obviously have no upbringing what-so-ever or you would know how to properly treat a lady!….you….you…. scurvy knave!" 

"Oh shit…" Adel mentally kicked herself "Where the hell did that come from?" her brain yelled at her "Scurvy knave? Who are you, Long John Silver?" Mortified, Adel waited for the boy to laugh at her….but he didn't….he just….stood there….staring….at her soul…

***

Unfortunately for Adel, It just so happened that the boy whom she had just slighted was none other aristocratic snob # 1 himself, the infamous Draco Malfoy, and he was NOT happy. "Who the HELL does she think she is?" he wondered incredulously. He had been called a lot of things during his life, but never once had anyone had the gall to insult his breeding. Didn't she have any idea who he was? He'd show her! He'd put her in her place, stupid muggle brat! "Oh sure, she's a hottie" Draco thought to himself "Just look at that hair…and those eyes…and that body! " his brain added as an afterthought as Draco stared at her long tan legs, clearly visible extending languidly from her short gray shirt. "But she's also turning out to be quite a little pain in the ass!" Draco yelled back mentally, furious with himself for getting worked up about a stupid girl. He'd show her, he'd show them all! He couldn't wait to see the look on her face after he was through with her. Much to Draco's complete and utter fury, however, he couldn't think of a single clever remark to throw in her face. The words just wouldn't come. Not a single insult, barb or jibe. There was just…nothing. And it KILLED him. After all, 'scurvy knave' wasn't that hard to top. But nothing happened. For the first time in Draco Malfoy's seventeen years, he was at a total loss for words. Furious he whirled around in attempt to stalk away and join his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle in their compartment on the train, before this stupid girl could damage his ego any further. However, before he could take two steps he heard all too familiar snickering. "Oh terrific" he muttered as he turned and came face to face with none other than Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and his sister Ginny, and Hermione Granger, who were taking the opportunity to laugh hysterically at him.

"Oh look" Draco sneered, trying to save face "It's Potty, Weasel and Mudblood Granger....and wouldn't you know they're brought little weasel with them" he added, referring to Ron Weasley's little sister Ginny. Not that Draco even knew her, but the fact that she was dating Harry Potter was more than enough reason for him to despise her. Ron looked like he was about to attack Draco, but it seemed that that little know it all, Hermione Granger was holding him back.

"Sod off Ferret Boy" Hermione muttered, as she kept a firm hold on Ron's robes.

"What's the matter Weasley? Need your little girlfriend to fight your battles for you?" Draco snickered, ignoring Hermione's reference to that unfortunate little incident with the boggart.

Before Ron could reply, however, the conductor called "All aboard" Looking around, they could see that they were the only six people left on the platform and they all had to scramble to get themselves, as well as there things on board before the train pulled away, destination: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	3. "Witches and Wizards and Britney Spears,...

 Chapter Three- "_Witches, and Wizards and Britney Spears, Oh my!"_

(Jess, I updated this just for you, because no one else seems to be reading this….L )

***

_Later on the train…._

Adel sighed as she dragged her feet towards the back of the train. It seemed that at every compartment she stopped at she was met with apologetic smiles and the news that they were full. 

Reaching the very back of the train, Adel realized that there was only one compartment left. Crossing her fingers, she slid open the door and was pleased to find that the compartment was completely deserted. Well, no, she wasn't pleased. How could she be? She was on her way to her first day in a new school, located in a strange country to learn magic, no less, and she didn't know a single person, save for the handful of professors she had been previously introduced to. It seemed that she'd already made an enemy, and now, to top it all off, she had to sit by herself in a dusty compartment at the very back of the train. Slumping down in her seat, Adel let the tears she had been holding in for the past month finally come. 

They weren't just tears for her dead parents, they were tears for herself. For what her live used to be. For who SHE used to be. In the course of a summer, Adel was not only orphaned, she also learned that everything she had ever believed in, everything she'd ever held true, was all just a lie. Not only were her parents dead, they weren't her parents. Her name wasn't really even her name and she wasn't who she thought she was. She wasn't Adelaide Cabbot, daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth, heiress to a fortune, and lover of small animals. She was a witch, and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get past that. Nothing else mattered anymore, nothing else seemed important enough than that. It was her identity now; it was all she could ever be. Sure, she still had her money and her clothes, her fancy clothes and her house in France. But they weren't part of her anymore. They were….nothing….just like her. 

When Professor McGonagall appeared in her living room one sunny day in the beginning of August, Adel had thought it was a joke, or at the very least the work of some over-zealous tabloid columnist, ready to do anything short of spitting flames to get a story. Any excuse would have done, all Adel wanted was something, anything, as long as it wasn't what it was. At first she didn't want to believe, she COULDN'T believe it…but there was something about the way the woman in the dark green cloak spoke…something that was so strange, yet so…. familiar…

 **_3 Weeks Earlier….._**

"God Dam it!" Adel exclaimed for about the fiftieth time that day as she heard the distinct sound of breaking glass whilst descending the front stairs. 

"Probably another damn reporter trying to break in" She thought out loud. It wouldn't have been the first time either. In the week following her parents death, her life had become one great big giant media frenzy…it was like no part of her personal life was safe…it was, in a word, utter and complete hell.

Then, as Adel reached the bottom landing, she realized something. If a window had indeed been broken, then the alarm system would have most certainly gone off. Too curious to be frightened, she boldly set off to find whatever had made the aforementioned sound. Her search soon led her to her father's office, where she found that instead of being locked, the heavy oak door was slightly ajar. Now Adel was worried. She had no idea who, or what, for that matter, she might find inside the room. She realized that she should have gone for help when she first heard the noise. She had let go most of the staff in the days following the accident, but as she was only seventeen, she still had needed some sort of guardian. Since Adel had no other close relatives, her parents had left her father's bodyguard, Davis to watch over her until she was nineteen. 

God how Adel wished he hadn't gone to the movies as she stood outside the office door, to scared to do anything. In all fairness, she had pretty much told him to go, claiming that she needed to be by herself for a while…. it wasn't that she didn't like Davis, in fact, she adored him, but she really did need to be alone. And look where that got her…

Finally Adel got a grip on herself and decided that she had to take action. If there was an intruder in her house, then she needed to find out, one way or the other. Taking a deep breath, and trying not to think about the fact that she didn't have a weapon, or any clue if the person on the other side of the door had one, she swung open the door and came face to face with…nothing. The room was empty.

"Oh my dear god, I'm such a fucking idiot!" Adel exclaimed, laughing at her stupidity.

"Watch your language, young woman!" Adel's laughter was abruptly cut off by a shrill, distinctly British voice.

Every inch of Adel's body shook as she whirled around only to find an older woman standing about two feet away from her, in front of a big over-sized leather armchair. The women looked normal enough, if you didn't take into account her clothing. She was wearing a long black dress and over that a dark green cloak of some sorts, that looked like it was made of wool, and definitely too hot for the balmy August New York City was currently experiencing.

As Adel stared, she vaguely wondered why the woman hadn't pulled a knife or some other sort of blunt object on her yet. Wasn't she her to kidnap her? Or did she just want to rob her? After all, why else would she be here?

"My dear it is very good to see you again, I can see you've grown into quite a beautiful young woman, but you'll have to learn to watch your mouth or you'll be losing points for yourself right and left."

"What the hell is she talking about?" Adel wondered to herself. Did she know this woman? Was she some sort of friend of her parents? And what did she mean about losing points? Maybe she was some sort of crazed stalker woman…

Seeing the confused look on Adel's face, the woman explained. "I'm sorry, you won't recognize me, and you were very young the last time we meant." Seeing that Adel still looked puzzled, she continued, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmaster of the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I was a friend of your parents."

That was it, Adel's mind was made up; this one was batty. The Hoagies School of what? "Uh…right" Adel replied uncertainly, as she backed up towards the door "That's nice…. you just make yourself right at home and I'm going to go….do something….be right back!" she yelled, as she turned and started to run in the opposite direction. She was seriously freaked out now. However, she only made it as far as the front door, where the same woman blocked her path!

"bbbb…bbbut …that's impossible!" Adel stammered looking back in forth, from the woman to behind her.

"That's called apparating dear; you'll learn about that soon enough." The woman told her, smiling. Adel wasn't sure why, but there was something about the woman that seemed almost familiar…something that made her trust the woman, though she had no idea why.

"Who did you say you were?"

***

That was three weeks ago. In the course of that afternoon, Professor McGonagall had explained quite a few things to Adel. As hard as it was to process, and consequently believe, Adel learned that she had been adopted by the people she had only ever known as her parents when she was one. At first she didn't believe it, but the woman had the papers. Her real parents, so it seemed, had been a young witch and wizard, which explained what Professor McGonagall had meant when she had said she knew Adel's parents. Though the Professor wouldn't tell Adel their names, for security reasons, she claimed, she did learn that they had been killed, along with countless other good, innocent people, by a dark wizard, named Voldemort. Of course, she wasn't actually supposed to say "Voldemort" , for some stupid reason she didn't quite understand, but that was another story all together. In fact, Adel didn't quite understand a lot of this whole deal. Witches and wizards? They were characters from fairytales or parts in b-movies, they weren't reality…but apparently…they were. They were real, live, living, breathing people and they were everywhere. Not only that, but she was one of them. And so, the last three weeks of Adelaide Cabbot's summer vacation had not been spent hanging out with friends and vacationing in the south of France as originally planned. Rather, they had been spent learning anything and everything she humanly could about the wizarding world. It had been determined that because Adel was seventeen, and due to the fact that she had received such good marks in high school, she would enter Hogwarts in her seventh year. Of course, this also meant that she had six years of material to catch up on in a little less than three weeks. Needless to say, a time turner had also came in quite useful during this time.

***

"Anything off the trolley dear?" A kindly old woman in a black and white striped dress asked Adel as she passed by her compartment.

Curious, Adel examined the woman's cart with interest. It held some of the most bizarre things she had ever heard of. Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans? What exactly did they mean by "every" flavour. If Adel learned one thing in the past three weeks, it was not to take anything for granted when it came to magic. 

"Uh….how about some M&M's?" Adel asked, looking at the woman nervously

"Pardon dear? What are you talking about? " she asked her, raising one gray eyebrow in puzzlement. Then a look of realization came over her wrinkled features "Oh I know, that muggle musician that all the young girls are after! Sorry dear, were all sold out of that flavour….we do have a couple of Britney Spears holographic suckers left though, how about one of those instead?"

"Oh never mind " Adel sighed "I'm not very hungry right now anyway."

After the woman had continued on her way, Adel let her mind drift again, but before she 

Before Adel could continue her musings the door to her compartment slid open. The girl from the platform whom that boy Draco had called "Mudblood Granger" poked her head in a little cautiously and smiled at her, her bushy brown hair sticking every which way.

"Hullo, I'm Hermione Granger, you must be new here. You look lonely, why don't you come sit with us?" the girl offered, all in the same breath, and so ridiculously fast that it took Adel a moment to fully process what she was saying.

"That would be great!" Adel exclaimed happily as she got up and collected her things, immensely relieved that she wouldn't have to be by herself the whole train ride.

" You'll just love Hogwarts!" the girl exclaimed "The library is almost always open, and they've got every book you could ever want! All the classes are wonderful! Well…almost all of them….Divination leaves something to be desired….and potions isn't exactly a vacation in the sun, but arithmancy  is simply splendid and transfiguration is positively awe-inspiring!"

Adel could barely get a word in edge-wise as the girl talked, except to utter a simple "yeah" or "Cool!" when appropriate. She couldn't say that she minded. Even if Hermione was a 'little' over-zealous when it came to school, she seemed like a nice enough person, and Adel had the feeling they would become good friends.

As the walked, the bumped into a tall, Irish boy with green eyes and a killer smile, whom Hermione seemed to know quite well.

"Seamus! How are you!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her arms around the boy "I heard you got expelled for blowing up the west dungeons last year?"

"Nah, they didn' use that part of the dungeon anyways, so dumbledore said I could stay" Seamus told her, grinning impishly as he winked behind Hermione's shoulder at Adel, making her blush a little.

"Oh where are my manners! Seamus, this is…I'm sorry! I forgot to ask your name!" Hermione apologized profusely

"Adel Cabbott, pleased to meet you" Adel addressed them both good-naturedly.

"Nice to meet you to!" Seamus exclaimed as he stared at her, obviously checking her out.

"Well, he's quite the player!" Adel thought, amused as she observed him 

"Oh Seamus, you're such a boy!" Hermione exclaimed in mock exasperation.

"Well, duh 'Mione! Anyways, I should be getting back to my compartment. I'm sure Dean's started cheating by now!" Seamus said, before continuing along his way. "Nice meeting you Adel!" He called over his shoulder as he sauntered away.

Before she knew it, Hermione was sliding open the door to her compartment and introducing Adel to her friends. On the left was a boy named Ron, whom Adel could tell obviously had a thing for Hermione, just by watching him stare at her so longingly as she spoke. Another thing she noticed about Ron was that his hair was as red as she'd ever seen on anyone, and that he had dozens of freckles to match. On the other side of the compartment were a girl and boy holding hands and looking at each other affectionately. The girl, she learned, was Ron's younger sister Ginny, which wasn't hard to see considering that she had the same fiery locks as her brother. Next to Ginny was a 'very' good looking boy with rather messy black hair, forest green eyes, and a jagged scar tracing his forehead, barely visible under his untidy hair. Adel didn't know why, but when Adel was introduced to this boy, who went by the name of Harry Potter, she felt something. She wasn't sure what is was….just something….something she'd never felt before….


	4. Recollections of Days Past

Chapter 4

All the way to Hogwarts, the group of five laughed and joked together as if they'd known each other forever and Adel wasn't just some new addition. After she explained her situation to them, they all tried to tell her everything they could about Hogwarts. Adel had already gone through the strange experience of being 'sorted', the previous week when she had gone with Professor McGonagall to take a tour of her new school and home for ten months. She was pleasantly surprised to learn that she would be in the same house as her new-found friends, and that Gryffindor was generally the most respected of all the houses.

Adel was having such a good time that she didn't even notice that it was getting dark when a bubbly girl about Adel's age, with curly blond hair and blue eyes, slid open their compartment door.

"Oh my god you guys, you won't believe who I hear is on this train!" the girl squealed, not noticing even Adel in the corner.

"Hullo Pavrati" Ron said "yes thank you, we had a lovely summer, how was yours?" he went on, with more than just a note of sarcasm in his tone.

Ignoring Ron, Pavrati continued "Adelaide Cabbot!"

Adel jumped at hearing her name, which was about two seconds before she realized that the girl didn't know that that was who she was, or even if she noticed her sitting on the other side of Ron, who had Hermione to his left.

When no one responded right away, Pavrati threw up her arms in frustration.

"Geez, don't you guys read?" she asked them "Didn't you hear about her parents dying, it was all over the news?"

Harry just shrugged, Hermione suddenly became very engrossed in the card from her chocolate frog, Ron looked away, and Ginny looked at Adel, unsure about what she should say. 

"Of course we've read about it" Hermione thought to herself as this uncomfortable silence was taking place. She not only subscribed to Witch Weekly and The Daily Prophet, she also got the New York Times and the Boston Herald. North America simply fascinated her, as did most everything else. She knew all about Cabbot Motors and the untimely death of its CEO and his wife only weeks before. She didn't know who Adel was when until she introduced herself, and once she did she had to bite her tongue to keep from saying anything. As curious as she was, she didn't to bring up any unpleasant memories; the poor girl had certainly been through enough already. And as Hermione was fairly certain that people wouldn't start to make the connection for a few days, and once they did, she hoped that at least Adel would be settled in a bit, and be able to handle it. And now Pavrati had to go and bring it up.It wasn't like Hermione didn't like Pavrati, after all, she had lived in the same dorm with her until her sixth year, when she was made a prefect, but she wasn't exactly the most…sensitive person.

And indeed, Adel only turned redder and redder from embarrassment as Pavrati proceeded to tell the whole compartment how the Cabbots had died and left their entire fortune to Adel, who, at age sixteen, had become one of the youngest millionaires ever.

It wasn't until she had finished that Pavrati noticed Adel in the corner.

"Oh Hello!" she exclaimed, surprised at seeing the unfamiliar face "How rude of me not to introduce myself! I'm Pavrati Patil, you must be new here, don't worry, you'll just love Hogwarts! The boys are to die for!" She jabbered, so quickly and all in one breath, so that it took Adel several moments to process it all.

Adel cautiously shook Pavrati's outstretched hand "Adel Cabbot" she murmured back, still unbelievably embarrassed

"Holy geez!" Pavrati exclaimed, turning almost as red as Adel. "I'm soooooo sorry! I can't believe I said all those things, I feel simply awful! Honestly, sometimes I'm such a cad!"

"uh it's ok, really" Adel muttered, blushing profusely

"Wow, what's it like owning your own company?" Pavrati asked excitedly "I'm sooo jealous, it must be so glamorous" she continued, answering her own question. "Have you been put in a dorm room yet?"

"Uh, no" Adel said "Professor McGonagall is supposed to assign me one once we arrive.

"Terrific!" Pavrati exclaimed "Since Hermione's been made head girl this year, there'll be an empty space with me and Lavender!"

"Lavender and I" Hermione corrected her absently, while admiring her head girl badge, which she had promptly unpinned from her shirt once Pavrati mentioned it.

"No, not you Hermione, you get your own room now, remember?" Pavrati asked, puzzled

Hermione didn't bother to try and set her straight "Right Pavrati" she sighed.

"Ahh, is that the time?!" Pavrati exclaimed, looking at her watch "I gotta go, I need to fix my hair before we get there! Nice meeting you Adel!" She called as she ran from the apartment.

After Pavrati left, there was an uncomfortable silence in compartment # 16. Of course everyone had already realized who Adel was, but they didn't want to make Adel uncomfortable by bringing it up. Hence, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry were all worried she was upset. Adel, on the other hand, was worried they would start to ask her questions, like why she hadn't been to school before. She didn't know how to explain that the reason she hadn't been at school before was because she didn't know she was a witch. She also wanted to avoid any questions about her parents. "The less people know the better" Professor McGonagall had told her just before they went their separate ways the previous week in Diagon Alley. Apparently that included Adel herself as well, because all she was told about her biological parents was that they were good people who died to keep her safe, a whole lot of good that did her. She didn't even know their names, just the grim fact that her parents were dead because of her. That was quite the thing to lay on a person…

"That was Pavrati Patil" Ron interrupted Adel's train of thought with a completely stupid and obvious statement, seemingly trying to break the uneasy silence that had descended over the group. 

Seeing the confused expression on Adel's face, Ginny tried to elaborate for her "Pavrati can be a little ditzy sometimes" she explained with a smile "but she has a heart of gold."

"She seems friendly enough" Adel offered sheepishly, not really sure what else to say.

"Oh she is quite possibly the friendliest person you'll ever meet!" Ron exclaimed

"Maybe a little _too_ friendly…" Ginny glared mockingly at Harry, as he turned red at her implications

"Pavrati had this massive crush on Harry in fifth year" Ron supplied "She tried to kiss him at the last Christmas ball, but he stepped back and she fell on him and got lipstick all over his shirt-Ginny was in a sort for weeks-she actually thought he was snogging another girl-it was great!" he ended enthusiastically, as he broke of into raucous laughter.

"It was not!" Harry, Ginny and Hermione exclaimed in perfect unison. 

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione exclaimed "That was a terrible experience and you know it-you just like to laugh at other people's misfortune."

"Ah come on 'Mione" Ron shrugged off her criticism "You have to admit, looking back on it all, the situation was rather humorous, I mean, what are the odds?"

"You're kind of right Ron" Harry admitted, grinning a little

"You know I am!" Ron said through a mouthful of every flavour beans, so that it sounded more like "youff flow ah ham!"

This got everyone laughing again and they continued to joke and generally have fun until the train started to slow and they pulled into King's Cross Station. It was when the group disembarked onto the damp platform, lit only by lantern light, that Adel got her first look at the vast castle, rising up out of the air in the distance, a majestic sight of light and splendor. She had arrived.


End file.
